Walking doll including device for attaching a limb to a limb mounting member

ABSTRACT

Means for attaching a limb of a toy figure such as a doll to a limb-mounting member connected to the torso, designed for installation in the limb in a preset condition ready for association with the mounting member and adjustment to a locking condition, the attached limb being movable between a plurality of positions in each of which it is releasably retained.

United States- Patent [72] Inventors Robert Gardel 11 Riverside Drive,New York, N.Y. 10023; Egon Gorsky, 165 E. 46th St., Brooklyn,

N.Y. 11203 [21] Appl. No. 772,570 [22] Filed Nov. 1, 1968 Division ofSer. No. 626,601, Mar. 28, 1967, Pat. No. 3,421,258. [45] Patented Apr.27, 1971 [54] WALKING DOLL INCLUDING DEVICE FOR A'I'IACHING A LIMB TO ALIMB MOUNTING MEMBER 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 46/161,46/150 [5 1] Int. Cl A63h 3/20 [50] FieldofSear-ch 46/173, 161, 149, 150

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,799,970 7/1957 Baggott46/173X 3,098,318 7/1963 Gardel 46/173 FOREIGN PATENTS 640,104 12/1936Germany 46/173 Primary Examiner-F. Barry Shay Attorney-Seymour A.Scholnick ABSTRACT: Means for attaching a limb of a toy figure such as adoll to a limb-mounting member connected to the torso, designed forinstallation in the limb in a preset condition ready for associationwith the mounting member and adjustment to a locking condition, theattached limb being movable between a plurality of positions in each ofwhich it is releasably retained.

PATENTED m2? |97| SHEET 1 OF g INVENTQRS E Gan/cl and BY Eg Gorsky m amh m ATTORNEYS PATENTEU m2? IEWI 33576; 087

sum 2 or 2 BNVENTORS Roben Gardgf Eg n G-orcky M MA Viv-6C2 ATTORNEYSWALKING DOLL INCLUDING DEVICE FOR A'I'IACIIING A LIMB TO A LIMB MOUNTINGMEMBER This application is a division of application Ser. No. 626,601,filed Mar. 28, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,258.

The attachment means is shown in connection with the walking dollmechanism of the cited application, a practical embodiment of theinvention being shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

P10. 1 represents a vertical fore-and-aft section of a doll bodycontaining the mechanism;

FIG. 2 represents an exploded view of the mechanism alone, with theaddition of the upper part of one leg;

FIG. 3 represents a detail vertical section through the upper part of aleg and the attaching means therefor;

FIG. 4 represents an elevation of the parts shown in H0. 3;

H0. 5 represents a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of theconnection between the leg and the leg-mounting means.

Referring to the drawings, the doll in which the mechanism isillustratively installed includes a torso T, a head H and legs L. Theneck portion N of the head is intended to be mounted in or attached tothe neck opening 0 of the torso in any suitable or customary manner,constituting no part of the inventron.

The mechanism for imparting a walking motion to the figure is fullydescribed and claimed in application Ser. No. 626,601 and is designatedhere generally by the numeral 10. 1t is fixed within the torso T bymeans of a bracket 12 which is connected through a plate 14 and motorbracket 16 to a downwardly extending leg bracket 18, in the form of aninverted channel having depending parallel flanges 20 each of which isperforated near its front end to receive a transverse axle 22, and eachflange being provided, near its rear end, with a short vertical slot 24adapted to receive a rocker bar 26, said bar being arranged to passloosely through a hole 28 in an intermediate flange 30 located midwaybetween the flanges 20.

Each leg-mounting means includes a boxlike element 32 comprising outerand inner parallel strips 34, 36, respectively, provided near the frontwith properly aligned holes 38, 40 to journal the element 32 on an endof the axle 22, and provided near the rear end with a hole 42 in theouter strip 34 and a vertical slot M in the inner strip 36 to receive anend of the rocker bar 26. Each strip 34 also has, near its center, atapered slot 46, a pair of oppositely disposed indentations 48 in itsinner surface and three small lugs 50 on its outer surface. The bar 26fits loosely enough in the hole 42 to permit rocking movement within thelimits determined by the height of slots 24 and/or 44.

The attachment of each leg to its mounting means is shown in detail inF108. 3, 4, and 5. The upper end of the leg is turned inward andprovided with an opening, lying in a vertical plane and bounded by anannular flange 52. A dished washer 54 is inserted in the opening withits periphery resting against the inner surface of the flange, and astrong spring 56 exerts its expansion force between the washer 54 andthe enlarged head 58 on the inner end of the locking piece 60. A cap 62,provided with a somewhat diamond-shaped central slot 64 and threeindentations 66, fits over the leg opening with its periphery overlyingthe outside of the flange 52, and the enlarged outer end of the lockingpiece 60, having shoulders 68 on its stem, is passed through the slot 64and turned so that the shoulders will catch on the sides of the slot(FIG. 4). With the leg in this condition, the end of the piece 60 ispassed through the slot 46 in the mounting means, is turned 90 to bringthe barbs 70 into register with the indentations 48 and is then when theleg is forcibly turned to sitting position or the like.

The invention is described with particular reference to dolls but themechanism can readily be installed, with or without special adaptation,in other figures, such as those of animals, which are otherwise capableof taking steps.

We claim:

1. ln combination with a figure toy having a torso, a limbmountingmember connected to the torso and a limb, said limb-mounting memberhaving a tapered slot provided therein, said limb having an openingbounded by an annular flange providing an inner surface inside said limband an outer surface outside said limb, means for attaching said limb tosaid limb mounting member, comprising:

a dished washer mounted inside said limb, said dished washer beingprovided with an aperture and having a peripheral portion restingagainst said inner surface of said annular flange, said dished washerhaving a convex surface facing inwardly toward the inside of said limband away from said opening;

a cap fitted over said limb opening and having a peripheral portionoverlying said outer surface of said annular flange, said cap beingprovided with a substantially diamond-shaped central slot;

a substantially flat locking piece having a first enlarged head mountedinside said limb and an elongated stern extending through the aperturein said dished washer and the slot in said cap, said stem having a pairof shoulders adapted to engage said cap outside said limb in a firstposition of said stem and to pass through said diamondshaped slot in asecond position of said stem, said locking piece including a secondenlarged head adjacent said shoulders, said second head having at leastone barb extending inwardly toward said cap, said barb lying in the sameplane as said shoulders and terminating just short of said cap when saidshoulders are in engagement therewith, said second enlarged head beingadapted to pass through said tapered slot in said limb-mounting memberwhen said second enlarged head is in a first orientation and to bringsaid barb into alignment with said limb-mounting member at the edge ofsaid tapered slot when said second head is rotated to a secondorientation, said limb-mounting member being provided with at least oneindentation on said inner surface at said edge of said tapered slot; and

a spring encompassing said locking piece inside said leg and including afirst end bearing against said first enlarged head and a second endbearing against said convex surface of said dished washer for exertingan expansion force between said dished washer and said first enlargedhead to bring the free end of said barb into engagement with saidindentation on said limb-mounting member at said edge of said taperedslot.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 including detents on said cap andsaid limb-mounting member for retaining said limb in a predeterminedposition.

3. A combination as stated in claim 1 including a second barb on saidsecond enlarged head and a second indentation on said mounting memberengageable by said second barb for locking said locking piece againstunwanted rotation.

1. In combination with a figure toy having a torso, a limbmountingmember connected to the torso and a limb, said limbmounting memberhaving a tapered slot provided therein, said limb having an openingbounded by an annular flange providing an inner surface inside said limband an outer surface outside said limb, means for attaching said limb tosaid limb mounting member, comprising: a dished washer mounted insidesaid limb, said dished washer being provided with an aperture and havinga peripheral portion resting against said inner surface of said annularflange, said dished washer having a convex surface facing inwardlytoward the inside of said limb and away from said opening; a cap fittedover said limb opening and having a peripheral portion overlying saidouter surface of said annular flange, said cap being provided with asubstantially diamond-shaped central slot; a substantially flat lockingpiece having a first enlarged head mounted inside said limb and anelongated stem extending through the aperture in said dished washer andthe slot in said cap, said stem having a pair of shoulders adapted toengage said cap outside said limb in a first position of said stem andto pass through said diamond-shaped slot in a second position of saidstem, said locking piece including a second enlarged head adjacent saidshoulders, said second head having at least one barb extending inwardlytoward said cap, said barb lying in the same plane as said shoulders andterminating just short of said cap when said shoulders are in engagementtherewith, said second enlarged head being adapted to pass through saidtapered slot in said limb-mounting member when said second enlarged headis in a first orientation and to bring said barb into alignment withsaid limb-mounting member at the edge of said tapered slot when saidsecond head is rotated 90* to a second orientation, said limb-mountingmember being provided with at least one indentation on said innersurface at said edge of said tapered slot; and a spring encompassingsaid locking piece inside said leg and including a first end bearingagainst said first enlarged head and a second end bearing against saidconvex surface of said dished washer for exerting an expansion forcebetween said dished washer and said first enlarged head to bring thefree end of said barb into engagement with said indentation on saidlimb-mounting member at said edge of said tapered slot.
 2. A combinationas stated in claim 1 including detents on said cap and saidlimb-mounting member for reTaining said limb in a predeterminedposition.
 3. A combination as stated in claim 1 including a second barbon said second enlarged head and a second indentation on said mountingmember engageable by said second barb for locking said locking pieceagainst unwanted rotation.